jeudi 7 octobre 2010

For beginnerts : a formalism for the description of colloids (i.e. disperse systems).

Let us consider an aqueous solution. This is mostly water. Then let us call it W. Now some liquid fat : as it is "oil", let us call it OFor a solid : S ; for a gas G.

Now, you can make an emulsion, dispersing oil droplets into the water phase, and you can write it W/O. The "/" operator means simply "dispersed into".

And of course, they had to be other operators. For example, the coexistence of phases : operator +. Or the inclusion : operator @ (according to IUPAC). Moreover, you could have to superimpose : operator sigmaEtc.

Now, one can understand easily that using these letters and operators, one can describe more complex systems.

Let us begin with two phases only : G/G : it is not colloidal, as it is a gas (G/G=G)G/W : this is a foamG/W : this is a foam, also, but in oil!W/O : emulsionO/W : a different emulsionW/S : a gelS/W : a suspensionS1/S2 : a solid suspensionetc : you understand easily, of course.

And it's now very obvious that one can use letters and operators for making formulas, describing more complex systems, such as :